


Melody

by LilyTiger01



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:14:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27554419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilyTiger01/pseuds/LilyTiger01
Summary: Melody, once deaf, is miraculously healed and gains super abilities. Now, not only learning how to speak, she is now the newest hero of WhiteRidge.Join the heroine Melody as she tries to understand her new found powers, while also trying to keep her identity a secret from others. As well as go to school, help her mom around the house, try to gather the courage to talk to her crush, as well as find where her missing father is and fight the evil villain, Banshee.Just a normal day for your average high school girl, right?
Kudos: 1





	1. Prologue: WhiteRidge City

Everyone is destined for great things. It is, however, our choice if we rise to accomplish those great things. Those who try will come across various challenges. Trials that will put them to the test. Obstacles that will appear like mountains before them. Chasms so wide and deep that even the bravest become intimidated. Many fall short before these tribulations or turn away, only to relapse or fall back from what they had already done. But there are few who overcome all of these things.

One of those few is where we begin this story.

In a valley not known to many, is a large city known as WhiteRidge city. Obtaining its name from the snow-capped mountains surrounding this location, WhiteRidge city is a combination of metropolitan, suburban and even forestry life-style. At the base of the mountains within this circular valley, is where the evergreen and wooded area starts. Going further into the center, the tree line abruptly stops and turns into a small layer of suburban neighborhoods and towns. Each one similar to the other, but with it’s own town charm. In the center of this valley, was White Ridge city itself. A bustling metropolitan town, busy during the day and beautiful and a sight to behold at night. The valley was a hot tourist location all year-round for the ski lounges and slopes high on the mountains. It was a place full of possibilities.

As well as dangers.

It was the late afternoon in Whiteridge city. The sun was past its peak but the city was still bustling. People walked along the sidewalks at different paces. Some ran to catch a cab, while others strolled at a leisurely pace. The streets had cars driving up and down the roads, all different colors and models. At a particular section between 25th Avenue and East Street, the lights were red. Pedestrians crossed an empty road, safely assured of no cars nearby. A woman pushed a stroller, her three-year-old inside. The child played with their small, blue racecar, enjoying the world of imagination they were in. This came a halt when the stroller jostled, causing the child to accidentally drop their toy. The child leaned out the stroller, reaching as far as they could for the toy. They whimpered and whined, catching the mom’s attention. The mom slowly backed up with the stroller, trying to get the toy.

Several blocks away from this, a car sped around the corner. It barely hit another car before correcting itself. It zoomed past it, running several red lights. The driver inside glanced at their rearview every so often, checking to see if they were being followed. But they were unaware of the mom and child still in the middle of the upcoming intersection. By the time the driver did notice, it would be too late.

High on the roof tops, a pair of black boots raced to the scene. They leaped from rooftop to rooftop, trying to beat the possible disaster. “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon,” The person whispered. Each whisper they made seemed to boost their speed somehow. They raced past the car and leapt from the roof, jumping high in the air above the intersection between 25th Avenue and East Street. Several bystanders looked up and saw this person, gasping in awe.

This person was a woman, dressed in a white, tight skinned jumpsuit. They wore elbow length black gloves that matched their knee-high black boots. On the knees and elbows were white semibreve music notes, while on the body suit were black semibreve music notes. This also matched the black utility belt around her waist. In the center of her belt was a single, silver clef note. The woman had black hair, currently in a long, single braid that went to her mid-back. She wore a black mask that covered the area around her eyes. On her ears were black quaver music notes, the tails facing back. The music notes were connected by a black band over her head, looking almost like a pair of earmuffs. The woman’s blue eyes darted down, locating the woman and child. At this point, the woman had grabbed the toy but froze in fright at the speeding car. The driver had slammed on their brakes, but they still were going too fast. The masked woman took a deep breath and said, “Oh!”

A single, circular sound wave left her mouth. It glowed a bright orange and she grabbed it before it could escape her reach. Gripping it tightly as she fell to the ground, she threw the disc at the woman. The disc spun, landing slanted right in front of the child and mother. The mother gasped, crouching instinctively and hugging the stroller. The car drove up the slanted disc and flew over the pair, slamming on the other side before coming to a complete stop. The masked woman hummed soft, small circular platforms appearing below her. She jumped from one to another, each one she jumped from vanishing from sight. This slowed her fall before landing graceful in front of the orange disc. She walked over to it and tapped it, causing the disc to vanish.

The woman stared at the masked woman, dropping the toy car. The child noticed and whimpered for their toy. The masked woman smiled and picked up the toy. She handed it to the child, saying, “Make sure to hold onto this tightly from now on. I don’t want you losing it, okay?”

“Uh-huh,” The child said, hugging the car. The masked woman looked at the mother, “Ma’am, I suggest getting back home now. You’ve had quite the day I’m sure?”

The woman nodded, speechless. Suddenly, the sidewalks erupted to applause. Both the masked woman and mother looked, seeing the bystanders cheering. “Way to go, Melody!” One shouted.

“You saved the day again!” Another exclaimed.

“What a hero!” inquired a third. The masked woman, Melody, nervously chuckled. But her attention was brought to that of the damaged vehicle. The driver had managed to open the driver’s door, and was now making a run for it. Melody furrowed her brow said, “Ma’am, get your child and yourself to safety, please.”

“Y-Yes, Melody,” The mother said, quickly pushing the stroller. Melody remained where she was as she watched the driver run. She narrowed her eyes and put her fingers to her lips, making a V-shape. She pressed her lips together and blew air into them, moving her lips rapidly and making a high pitched, buzzing sound. Small, red spheres flew from her mouth and rapidly rolled down the street. The marble sized spheres rolled by and under the driver, causing them to stumble and slip on them. They fell on their stomach, slamming onto the asphalt. Melody stopped and ran at the driver. She caught up to them and quickly pinned their arms behind their back, immobilizing them.

“You are under arrest for theft of personal property, breaking several traffic laws, and endangering the lives of innocents,” Melody said, grabbing a pair of handcuffs from her belt. The driver struggled, shouting, “You can’t arrest me! I stole nothing!”

Melody clipped the handcuffs together as she responded, “I’ll let the police decide if that woman’s purse is truly yours or that elderly woman from the park on Third Avenue and Main Street.”

Not a moment after she said this, sirens echoed all around her, the driver and bystanders. Followed quickly by several police cars turning the corner several blocks away. Melody smiled and pulled the driver to their feet. The police arrived on the scene and took away the driver. They blocked the section of the street and started redirecting traffic. While some officers focused on traffic flow, others investigated the car. They found the stolen purse and handed it to Melody. “Was anyone injured?” The officer asked her.

Melody shook her head, glancing at the driver. Another officer got the driver into the back of the police vehicle, closing the door behind them. “Fortunately, no. But it was a close one. They almost ran over a woman and her child today,” Melody stated.

“Well, it’s a good thing you stopped them. You always save the day,” The officer complimented. Melody smiled, though it looked a bit sad. “I do my best,” She said, nodding. She shouldered the purse and said, “Pardon my departure, but I must return this.”

“Not at all. We’ll tidy things up here, not there isn’t much left,” The officer teased. Melody chuckled before running towards a lamp post. She let out a quick breath, a circular green platform appearing halfway up the lamp post. She leaped for it, and jumped to the top of the post. She snapped her fingers three times, materializing several circular purple platforms. Each one she jumped from vanished as she reached the roof of a nearby building. From there, she ran across the top, heading back towards the park.

 _“Nice work as always, Melody,”_ A voice echoed. Melody pressed a finger to the right quaver note, pressing a small button on her ear communication piece. She responded, “If you hadn’t kept track of the travel, Tech, I would’ve lost them. Thanks for the help.”

_“I’m always happy to help.”_

“Is the old woman still at the park?”

_“Yup. She stayed right at the corner where you asked her to stay. Someone even got her some food while she waited. They must’ve seen the robbery happen before you arrived.”_

Melody smiled, “Why can’t everyone just help others like that person?”

_“It’s a cruel world. It’s a good thing you are here to help this city, Melody.”_

Melody’s smile faltered slightly, as she admitted, “It wasn’t always easy, Tech. There were...sacrifices.”

There was a moment of brief silence before the person named Tech responded, _“That’s true, but look how far you’ve come. You’ve become stronger from those challenges, right?”_

Melody smirked, “I guess you're right. I’m definitely different from when I first started. Oh man, those were the days.”

_“Yeah, back when you were first starting out. It definitely wasn’t easy.”_

“And you think now we have it easy?”

_“Of course not! But it’s become easier, hasn’t it?”_

Melody shrugged, “I’m not going to answer that. Even now we have our challenges, just like we did back then. I didn’t know what I was doing back then; I only hoped what I was doing was right.”

 _“That’s true. Alright, you’re almost back at the park.”_ Melody nodded to herself and sprinted ahead, continuing her run. As she ran, she reminisced the days back when she was younger. When she was first starting out her hero’s journey ten years ago.

When she really had no clue what she was doing.


	2. Routine--Morning

“Melody! Time to wake up or you’ll be late to school!”

Melody’s eyes shot open as she quickly sat up. Her hair was a mess and she felt groggy having just woken up. Melody blinked a few times, clearing the fog from her sight and mind. When it finally clicked what woke her up, her eyes widened and she leaped out of bed, shouting, “Dang it, not again!”

Melody raced into her closet, trying to get ready for the day. Her room was small and had very little. Her bed was twin size and against the upper right corner, her desk on the opposite wall next to the window. Her dresser sat in between the two, with a hanging mirror above it. Across from the dresser was a TV stand with a small TV sitting on it. To the right of the stand was a small closet, and to the left was the room leading out and into the hallway. The floor was dark, hardwood but it was mostly covered by a large circular, purple rug. Both the frame, desk and dresser all matched in that they were made in light brown wood. The walls were light sandy color, and the ceilings were white, just like the TV stand. A small, domed light hung in the center of the ceiling, currently off. But the purple curtains had been drawn back, allowing light to filter in. 

She burst out from it, mostly dressed for school. She wore a white polo shirt with a dark blue vest over it. Her pleated skirt matched in color with her vest and Melody adjusted her white, knee-length socks. She slipped on a pair of black Mary Janes, clipping the buckles in. She rushed to her dresser, grabbing her hair brush. Untangling the knots, she finally managed to get her hair under control. She fixed it into a braid, adding her signature navy-blue bow at the top. She looked herself over, making sure everything was okay. 

Melody was a fifteen year-old girl, currently halfway through her freshman year of high school. She stood at 5’4’’ with dark, wavy hair that, at the moment, went a little past her shoulders. Her eyes were a deep blue and, as her mom said, she had a rounded face like a doll. Melody didn’t mind this, since being told by her mom it was endearing. But she wished that she wasn’t always seen as this by her mom. Though other reasons were more in play for her mother’s protective behavior.

Melody nodded at her reflection, approving the look. From outside her door, “Melody! Are you almost done?!”

“Yes!” Melody responded, heading to her bedroom’s door. She grabbed the door handle as her mom shouted, “Don’t forget your hearing aids!”

Melody flinched and looked at her dresser. In a small black case, her hearing aids sat inside. They were tan to match her light skin tone and clipped over the ears, so that they sat snuggly in her ears. Melody hated them and didn’t actually need to wear them. If anything, her hearing was perfect. But she knew she had to wear them. For her safety and her mother’s. She shuffled over to her dresser and opened the case, taking ear hearing aid out. Making sure they were on correctly, Melody sighed and made her way downstairs. 

Melody lived in a three-story townhouse that was stuck in the middle of several others. Each one was the same in that they were all made with the same red brick material, but Melody could figure out which one was hers since her home was the only one with green window sidings. Her room was on the third level of the house, just across the hall from her mom’s room. Melody went into the bathroom, quickly brushing her teeth. Once finished, she raced down the stairs, startling her mother as she jumped the last two steps. Melody sped into the kitchen, quickly taking a seat at the small, two person table. The table was in the left corner of the room, next to the window sill seat. The table was off white, with matching wooden chairs at the head and foot of it. The window sill seat was used for extra seating for the table. The dining room and kitchen were in the same room, the kitchen being on the right. The kitchen was an open set up. Next to the window sill was the backdoor into the small backyard. To the right of this, was where the counters and cabinets started from the kitchen. The cabinets and counters wrapped around the right side of the wall, only stopping briefly for an open doorway into the laundry room. Next to the doorway, was the gray refrigerator. 

The counters were made of granite, the coloring being of a brown mixture. The cabinets were an off white, with matching doors. The sink was in between a pair of ceiling cabinets on the left wall. A corner counter sat in between the sink and electric oven. The oven was black and the stove top was silver in color. A microwave had been installed above the stove, and even had an air-vent underneath in case anything was burning on the stove top. The flooring in the kitchen and small dining area was made of dark hardwood floor as well. The walls were white as well as the ceilings. A small ceiling fan rested in the center of the room, the lights were on and the fan was spinning lazily. 

Melody’s mom had been sitting at the table, eating her breakfast when her daughter rushed in. Alouette Carmina was a thirty-five year-old mother and current music teacher at Melody’s high school. She had short, dark brown hair, but had the same dark eyes as Melody. She was just barely 5’5’’ and was a woman that looked seriously. Though, those who really knew her thought otherwise. She was dressed in a simple white buttoned up shirt with a dark blue vest over it. She wore a long tan skirt and black flats, allowing her easy mobility in her work uniform. She wore a wedding ring on both fingers: one her own, and the other of her late husband’s, Melody’s father. Her mother also had light skin, but though she was only thirty-five, she looked much older. Her hair was starting to have little streaks of gray in it, and bags were forming under her eyes. Both of these were hardly noticeable, but of course, Melody noticed. She always notices the little things. 

Mrs. Carmina looked at Melody for a second, seeing her daughter’s facial expression. “I know you don’t like the hearing aids, but you have to wear them,” She said. 

“I know,” Melody said, not wanting to have this discussion. Instead, Melody ate the cereal her mom had left in front of her. Mrs. Carmina watched as her daughter ate, trying to change the subject. “So, how are your classes going?” She asked.

“Good,” Melody said, trying to eat quickly.

“Find any clubs you want to join?”

“No.”

“Anybody giving you trouble?”

“No,” Melody lied, thinking of one person in particular. Mrs. Carmina raised an eyebrow, “Are you sure? Mr. Johnson told me the other day that one of your classmates was teasing you.”

“Playful banter,” Melody mumbled, before drinking the milk from her bowl. Mrs. Carmina’s eyebrow lifted a little higher, “Playful banter being she caused you to trip?”

Melody was startled that her mom knew that bit of the story. She choked on her milk and started coughing, quickly putting the bowl down. She hit her chest, trying to get out as much milk she breathed in. Mrs. Carmina jumped to her feet, trying to help. But Melody lifted a hand and shook her head, “I’m -cough- fine.”

“So it’s true, isn’t it?” Her mom asked, sitting back down. Melody took a deep breath, finally feeling better from the surprise. Melody sighed, rolling her eyes. “Mom-” She started.

“Please don’t roll your eyes. This is something serious!”

“Mom, it’s nothing serious. Sure, I get picked on but it’s not anything I can’t handle.”

“Who is it? Are they in my class? Do I need to speak with them?”

“Mom. No.”

“Melody-”

“Mom. It’s. Fine.” Mrs. Carmina opened her mouth to object but noticed Melody’s serious expression. She hesitated, deciding to listen to her daughter. Melody noticed and explained further. “The tripping was a one time thing. I do get picked on, but it isn’t often. I ignore it and people leave me alone. Besides, Elanore and Peter are with me and make sure nobody messes with me.”

Though Melody didn’t convince her mom, Mrs. Carmina had to let the subject drop. Not only due to time, but also because she knew that this argument would last a while. And she wasn’t ready for what other things may be brought up from this one argument alone. So, with a defeated sigh, Mrs. Carmina said, “Fine. But we’re not done with this talk. You better head out before class starts.”

Melody smiled, though she couldn’t deny the sense of unease. She didn’t like how her mom planned to have this talk again, but at least they weren’t having it now. Melody got up from the table and said, “Thank you, mom. Make sure to leave soon too. Class starts soon.”

Mrs. Carmina rolled her eyes, and stood up. She kissed Melody the top of her head, “Says the one who will be late if she doesn’t go now.”

Melody nodded and went to the front door. She grabbed her light purple backpack and black winter coat off of the coat rack. She shouldered the bag and grabbed her house key from a small, misshapen bowl on the side table below the coat rack. It was something Melody had made when she was little in an art class. She couldn’t remember what she initially wanted it to be, but it ended up being used as a bowl of sorts. She placed the key in a small pocket on the side of her backpack, ready to head out.

Melody grabbed the door handle just as her mom said, “And remember, Melody, no talking!”

Melody sighed and turned to her mom. In sign language, Melody said,  _ “I will. I love you.” _

Mrs. Carmina signed back,  _ “I love you too.” _

Melody opened the front door and walked down the steps. The steps immediately connected to the sidewalk, allowing easy access to the main streets of the city. Melody and her mother lived in the townhouses just at the edge of Whiteridge City. They had moved there when Melody was ten, ever since her father passed away. It wasn’t easy, shifting from suburban life-style to city-folk. But they both adapted and, though they each struggle, they’ve managed well in their home together. 

Melody turned left and started her walk to school. The high school she went to was called Ashwath Wendell High, or Ashwath for short. The school was named this due to its founder, Ashwath Wendell. He was one of the first to establish a high school in Whiteridge city when it was first being built. Ironically, his great granddaughter was the current principle of the school. And just like the founder, she upholds education as the highest priority for her students. Right alongside the rules for school.

Melody walked for three or four blocks down before she had to make a right. After walking another four, she was almost to her school. With the building in sight, Melody picked up the pace. The building was the size of the whole city block. The white walled building has seen better days from when it was first built. It was two levels, with large off-white steps leading to the front doors. The doors were glass doors, allowing people to see inside the front hall and allowing students to see outside. Two large white columns supported the small roof over the doors and front window of the school. The front face of the school had six windows on either side, three on the second floor, and three on the main level. Small hedges lined the bottom windows, adding a classical style to the front lawn of the school. A black iron wrought gate sat in front of the walkway up to the steps to the front doors. The same colored iron fence wrapped around the school, separating the grass lawn from the sidewalk. Students were currently walking up the steps of the school, since the first bell would be ringing soon. 

Melody gripped the straps on her backpack, taking a cold, deep breath through her nose. Just as she took her first step onto the crosswalk, when a hand grabbed the back collar of her coat. “Hold it, Mel! We can’t walk yet!”

Melody’s foot hung in the air, realizing who it was that grabbed her. She straightened herself and turned to see her friend, Peter Kosumi. Peter Kosumi was a few months older than Melody. He was tall for his age, 5’8’’ to be exact, with side swept dark hair and eyes. He had fair skin and wore the boy’s uniform for their school: a long sleeve navy sweater with a white buttoned up shirt underneath, black pants and black dress shoes. He had a deep red winter coat on, with a black ski hat on his head. He even wore black gloves, though it wasn’t too cold for Melody. Melody lifted an eyebrow, “It’s not that cold, Peter.”

“I’m not used to Whiteridge,” Peter defended, letting go of Melody. He gestured to his clothes, “Besides, the uniforms don’t really warm us up well. Maybe the sweaters but my legs are freezing.”

“Fair point.”

“Hey guys! What’re we standing around for?” Peter and Melody both went to turn to their third friend, but she had already slung both her arms around their shoulders. The problem was she was a bit shorter than the two, so she had to stand on her tiptoes to reach them. Peter and Melody nearly hit heads and their third friend said, “C’mon, the light already changed! We don’t want to be late for class.”

Melody and Peter’s friend let go of their shoulders, grabbing each of their wrists. She pulled them forward and the three of them walked across the street. Melody’s third friend, as well as Peter’s friend, is Elanora Fen. She was the shortest in the group, but not the shortest person in the school. Elanora stood at about 5’3’’, though with how she was, she could act taller. She had bright red hair that she had straightened. Naturally, she had curly hair but Elanora hated it with every fiber of her being, so it made her look like a popular cartoon character. So she straightens it not only for this reason, but that she also likes the look. She had deep, green eyes that always had a spark in them, regardless if it was joy or anger. She had fair skin and, like Melody, she also wore the girl’s winter uniform. She wore a black hair tie on her right wrist, just below a simple black watch. Over her uniform, Elanora wore a light brown winter coat that went to her knees, a white scarf and matching beret and mittens.

Peter rolled his eyes, “Elanora, slow down. We got plenty of time.”

To prove him wrong, when the three reached the other side of the cross walk, they could hear the echo of the first bell. The three shared a look and booked it for the front doors. They entered the front hall, slowing their pace as the crowd of students moved from the front lobby to the branching hallways. Peter, Melody and Elanora walked together, turning down the right hallway to the Freshmen locker section. 

Peter went to the left wall of lockers, reaching his bottom locker. Melody and Elanora both had lockers next to the other on the bottom row. Elanora glanced, seeing if anybody was watching them. She leaned on her locker door and whispered, “Psst! Melody, want to hang out after school today?”

Melody glanced at Elanora, opening her mouth to speak. But books and papers toppled onto her, hitting her head. Melody yelped, rubbing her head in pain. She looked up angrily, staring at her top locker partner. The girl above her was Aurelia Sinopa. She was Melody’s height and had long black, curly hair that went to her mid back. She had an olive skin tone and had dark eyes. She wore the girl’s uniform as well, but she rolled up her skirt to make it look shorter. She was a sophomore and didn’t have any classes with Melody. But, for some reason, she picked on her. This was the same person who tripped Melody the other day. 

Aurelia smirked and said, “Oops, my stuff fell out. Sorry.”

Melody shook her head and finished unpacking her backpack. Aurelia lifted an eyebrow. She poked Melody’s shoulder, saying, “Hey, deaf girl.”

Melody sighed and glared at Aurelia, an eyebrow raised. Aurelia leaned close and said slowly, “Read my lips. Get my stuff.”

Melody looked at Aurelia, head tilted in confusion. Aurelia groaned in annoyance, “Gosh, this is annoying. Hurry up and get your things so I can get mine.”

Melody pretended she didn’t understand Aurelia and continued with getting her things. She grabbed her books and pencil bag, closing her locker door. Melody turned to leave, but Aurelia stuck her foot out. Melody tripped over it, but caught herself before she could drop any of her things. Aurelia giggled and Elanora jumped to her feet. “What’s your deal?!”

“What? Don’t tell me you didn’t find that the least bit funny,” Aurelia asked. 

Elanora went to say something, but Melody put a hand on her shoulder. Elanora looked to Melody, who was shaking her head no. Melody glared at Aurelia and raised her left hand out, her palm facing up. Using her right hand, she hit it against her open palm like a knife.. Aurelia lifted a confused eyebrow, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means,” Peter said, joining Elanora and Melody. “She wants you to stop.”   
Aurelia huffed under her breath and turned away, gathering her things from the floor. The three friends turned and left the hallway, heading to their first class of the day. Elenora whispered to Melody, “Seriously, I could take Aurelia. Why’d you stop me?”

Melody signed to Elanora. Peter watched, translating, “She said don’t give Aurelia the time of day. She’s not worth it.”

“Fine,” Elanora groaned, rolling her eyes. She glanced around before whispering again, “Melody, if you ever want to talk, you know you can with us.”

Melody tensed and signed quickly. Peter lifted both his hands, signaling for Melody to slow down. Melody took a deep breath and slowed her hand movements, so Peter could translate. After a moment, he said, “Melody said that it’s better not to risk the chance here at school. Only we should know her secret. Though even that is tricky since her mom doesn’t know that we know.”

“Which secret? The one where-” Elanora started. Melody quickly made a ‘C’ shape with her left hand and placed her right hand in it, holding up two fingers. She quickly moved her right hand down, closing her two fingers like she was cutting with scissors. Peter translated, “Both, Elanora. You should know this by now.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Elanora said. To show she meant it, she curled her right hand into a fist and made a circle motion over her chest. Melody smiled and tapped her chin with her right hand, moving it away slowly. Peter smirked at Elanora, “You should know that one.”

“Yes, yes, it means ‘Thank you,’” Elanora said, shaking her head. Peter and Melody laughed as the three hurried to their first class.


	3. Routine--Early Afternoon

The morning classes flew by quickly. Melody, Peter and Elanora each split off after their first class. Melody walked into her second class, where Mr. Johnson taught. Mr. Johnson was one of the young teachers the school hired prior to the start of this school year. He recently graduated from college and had gotten a major in world history and a minor in teaching. He also had taken several years worth of sign language so he could talk to Melody much easier than the other teachers could. Personally, he was Melody’s favorite.

He was standing at the board when Melody entered the classroom. He turned to her and smiled, “Good morning, Melody. How are you?”

Melody smiled and nodded, indicating she was good. Mr. Johnson returned the smile, “That’s good. Head to your seat and get started on the warm-up reading before the start of class.”

Melody nodded in acknowledgement and headed to her seat. The seats were arranged in a five by four system: five seats in each of the four rows. Melody’s seat was in the third row in the third chair. She took her seat and put the book needed for class on the desk. Any other books she didn’t need were put under her chair. Slowly, more of her classmates shuffled in, some still tired and others more awake than the first class. Melody read the assignment and finished just as Gailen Gaumond walked in.

Gailen Gaumond was a year older than Melody. He had an olive skin tone with short, dark curly hair. He had dark eyes and was the same height as Peter. He was wearing the boy’s uniform as well and, when he walked into the classroom, Mr. Johnson signed ‘ _ Good morning.’ _

Galien signed back, a smile on his face. Unlike Melody, who ‘was’ partially deaf in that she could hear with the ‘help’ of her hearing aids, Galien was completely deaf. This didn’t dissuade Melody in any way from having a crush on him. Galien sat next to Melody, his seat being on her left. He noticed her gaze and gave her a smile, waving a little. Melody flinched and managed to wave back, before turning back to her book. She glanced at Gailen, who was looking through his textbook. Melody looked away, feeling her cheeks grow warm. 

Mr. Johnson clapped his hands, getting everyone’s attention. Mr. Johnson stomped his heel three times. Galien noticed the vibration in his feet and put his book down, sitting up at attention. Mr. Johnson looked at everyone and said, as he signed, “I hope everyone is doing well this morning. Today, we’ll be going over what we had read for homework last night. Would anyone like to share anything new they learned from the reading?”

A girl in the back row raised her hand and Mr. Johnson pointed to her, “Yes?”

“I thought the legends that each country had were interesting,” She stated. Mr. Johnson nodded, “Excellent! Yes, each country has their own legendes, and sometimes two of them are the same but with different variations. Did anyone have a favorite?”

Multiple hands shot in the air and Mr. Johnson went around the room, picking people’s favorites. He reached Melody, who signed one of her favorites was the Greek legend of Hades and Persephone. Mr. Johnson agreed, “The Greeks had many legends of their gods and goddesses. Most of which had been passed down by word of mouth and told through art pieces made by the Greeks. It wasn’t until later they were written down. Galien, did you have a favorite?”

He asked this as he signed the question to Galien. Galien nodded and signed back, gesturing to Melody once he finished. Melody quickly realized that Galien’s favorite was the one she liked as well. Mr. Johnson said as he signed, “That’s alright. Looks like you both really liked that story. It is interesting we land on the Greeks because that’s where we’ll be starting first in this lesson.”

Mr. Johnson turned to the board and started to write out notes for the class to take. He outlined the lesson for the day and then turned on the ceiling projector. Pulling down the projector screen, he continued the lesson. He signed whenever he spoke, answering questions and backtracking if students were confused. Melody took notes, but when she was ahead of the note taking, she doodled in the margins. At first, it was only simple smiley faces and flowers. But the doodles quickly devolved into doodles of her and Galien as the Greek god and goddess Hades and Persephone. 

The class ended and Melody knew she had her lunch break before her third period. She got out of her seat at the same time Galien did. The two fell back in their seats, startled by the collision. Unfortunately, when Melody fell back into her desk, she bumped it and some of her papers to fall to the ground. Melody quickly gathered them, trying to not make a mess. But the last one she went to grab was picked up by Galien. He went to hand the paper to Melody but noticed something on the paper. Melody’s face flushed red.

That was the one with all the personal doodles. 

Melody snatched it from Galien’s hands, and quickly curled her hand into a fist, making circular motions over her chest. She turned away and grabbed her books and papers. She turned to leave but Galien grabbed her shoulder. Melody glanced at him as he removed his hand. He signed to her, ‘ _ You’re drawing was really good. I like it.’ _

_ ‘Thank you,’  _ Melody signed.

_ ‘Do you take any art classes?’ _

Melody shook her head. Galien signed,  _ ‘Why not join the art club? It’s really fun and for different types of art besides drawing.’ _

Melody thought for a moment. Maybe she could try signing up for that club. It certainly would make her mom happy in knowing she finally picked a club. Melody signed,  _ ‘I’ll think about it.’ _

Galien smiled and excitedly signed,  _ ‘Great! If you join, we’ll see each other more often. It would be nice to have someone else in the club who knows sign language. See you later!’ _

Galien left the classroom and Melody’s heart skipped a beat. ‘Galien is part of the art club?! When did he join?! How come I didn’t know until now?!’ Melody thought.

“I’d hurry to lunch before the lunch line gets too long, Melody,” She heard. Melody jumped and saw Mr. Johnson wiping down the white board. He smiled a knowing smile, adding, “I hear it’s spaghetti and meatballs today.”

Melody nodded and waved goodbye, running out of the classroom. Mr. Johnson chuckled and said, “High schoolers. That’s when the crushes really start.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Wait, you want to join the art club?” Peter asked, surprised. 

Melody nodded, taking a bite from her sandwich. The trio of friends were in the cafeteria for lunch, Peter and Melody sitting near the upper right corner. The school actually had two cafeterias: one on the top floor and one on the first floor. The one on the first floor was much smaller, since on the other side of the shared wall was the gym. It was the same for the second floor cafeteria with the library next door. However, the layout was different. The first floor cafeteria and gym were in the center of the layout, with classrooms around the walls of the first floor building. The second floor cafeteria and library were on the far side of the building, the cafeteria taking the left corner of the far side and the library taking the right corner. It was a common occurrence for the librarian to sometimes come in and tell students to lower their voices.

The kitchen was on the far wall, with two doorways leading into the kitchen. Students walk in from the right doorway, where the lunch ladies and chefs have set up lunch for the day. Students take a tray and move down the line, asking for their choice of food for that day. At the end, they pay for their food, either by cash or student ID. Melody brings lunch from home on two out of the three days of the week. The other days her mom gives her a small allowance to get lunch from the school. It isn’t much, but it is enough for Melody to treat herself to something sweet. About twelve circular tables lined the walls of the cafeteria, each one allowing six students at one table. In the center of the cafeteria, there was a raised platform to allow four square tables. Most faculty sat at those tables, giving them a view of the cafeteria in case students act up. 

Melody and her friends were halfway through lunch, Elanora finally coming over to the table. She slammed her tray of food on the table, grumbling, “I swear, if I had to wait in line for a second longer just because someone’s card wasn’t working, I was going to throw my money on the ground and storm out.”

“Don’t. You know how it went last time,” Peter stated. Elanora huffed and started to eat her lunch. In between bites, she asked, “So, what’s new with everyone?”

“Melody wants to join the art club,” Peter said, gesturing to Melody. Elenora’s eyes widened, “Wait, really?!”

She turned to Melody, “That’s awesome! What made you want to join?”

Melody finished her sandwich and started on her apple. Taking a bite, she quickly signed to Peter, who translated, “Someone in her history class liked one of her doodles. And suggested she join the art club.”

Elenora lifted an eyebrow, smiling mischievously, “Oooooooo, was it Galien?”

Melody choked on her apple, dropping the apple on the table. Melody coughed, hitting her chest and swallowing her food. Elenora and Peter both tensed, ready to jump up and help. But Melody lifted a hand, indicating that she was okay. Peter glared at Elanora, “Seriously?!”

“I didn’t expect her to choke!” She protested. Melody cleared her throat and took a few deep breaths. Elanora looked at her friend, brow furrowed, “Are you okay, Melody?”

Melody nodded. Elanora smiled, “Good. Now answer the question.”

“El!” Peter exclaimed. 

“What?! I’m curious!”

With hesitation, Melody lowered her head and slowly nodded. Peter blinked, a bit surprised. “Seriously? That’s what gets you to pick a club?” Peter asked. Melody looked away, looking a little embarrassed. Elanora hit Peter’s shoulder, who in turn winced.

“Ow! What the heck was that for?!” He protested, rubbing the spot where she hit him.

“You’re such a guy,” Elanora said, rolling her eyes. She looked back at Melody, and said, “Hey, at least you’re stepping out of your comfort zone. We’ve seen you draw, Melody. You really should join the club, regardless if Galien is there.”

Elanora gave Peter a side glance, “ _ Right, Peter?” _

Peter flinched and said, “R-Right. What El said.”

Melody glanced at her two friends, and softly smiled. She tapped her chin and lowered it down, signing to them, ‘ _ Thank you.’ _

They both nodded just as Elanora’s watch started to rapidly beep. The three tensed as she placed her arm on the tap. She tapped on the watch’s clock face, revealing it to be more than just a simple watch. The watch’s face rapidly changed to that of a small screen. On it, the news was playing. Elanora used the tiny dial on the side to raise the volume a little, loud enough for the three to hear but not enough for anyone else to notice. All three friends leaned in to listen to the news. 

The screen showed a man dressed in a white buttoned up shirt and black dress pants, with a matching belt. He held a microphone just below his chin and an ear piece can be seen in his right ear. Black smoke rolled in plumes past him since he stood in front of a burning building. The distant sound of firetrucks echoed all around the man as ‘Breaking News!’ flashed across the bottom of the screen.

_ “We have reports of the apartment complex on seventh avenue and west road suddenly caught fire!”  _ The man shouted about the noise.  _ “Firefighters have been called, but are struggling to get through traffic. Local pedestrians have broken ground windows and doors to get people out. But multiple tenants have yet to emerge from the building. Current updates are showing that these tenants are trapped on the higher levels of the building!” _

In the background, the friends heard a window break. The man ducked slightly and looked up, seeing a woman holding her baby leaning out the window. The woman was covered in soot and the baby was crying.  _ “Please! Someone help!” _ The woman cried.

Elanora muted her watch and both Peter and Elanora looked at Melody. She nodded and whispered, “Cover us, Peter.”

“Trust me, no one will suspect a thing,” He said. The two girls nodded and cupped a hand over her right ear. She whimpered and Elanora said in a loud voice, “Don’t worry, Melody! Let’s go to the nurse’s office and get your ear checked out!”

Several teachers from the staff tables glanced over, but didn’t say or do anything. Elanora helped Melody up and led her out of the cafeteria. Elanora glanced back at Peter, who was cleaning off the lunch table. He noticed her looking and gave her a thumbs up. Elanora smiled and returned it with a confident nod. When the two girls entered the hallway, they immediately booked it for the nurse’s office. 

The nurse’s office was on the first floor, in the front office. The front office was to the left of the front entrance, since oftentimes visitors have to stop there to get permission to enter the school. Or go to meet a faculty member or the principal. Both girls skipped down the stairs, going two steps at a time. They reached the first floor and darted into the office. The front office attendant, Mr. Gupil was forty-five and was a short man. He was 5’3’’, with dusty brown hair and fading dark eyes. His nose was long and hooked slightly at the end, with some wrinkles of age on his face. He always wore a black business suit and rarely left his desk. His hair was combed to the left side of her head and he had a small scar on the back of his right hand. He always changed the story of how he got it: bear fight, someone tried to mug him, getting a cat down from a tree. Melody’s personal favorite was that he got it from accidentally trying to juggle plates and one broke.

She was the only student he told that story to, which makes her believe that was how he got the scar. 

The two girls walked in and Mr. Gupil noticed them. “Going to the nurse again?” He asked, one eyebrow raised. Melody nodded and Elanora explained, “Her hearing aid is acting up again. Could take a while.”

Mr. Gupil nodded, “Just make sure you both get to class when you're done.”

“We will,” Elanora said, as they turned down the left hallway to the nurse’s office. The front office was set up as a small ‘t’ shape. The entrance was at the base of the shape, with the left hallway and right hallway branching at the top. The principal's office was at the other end of the long hallway, directly in front of the front office door. Along the way were other faculty members offices. In the left hallway was the nurse’s office, while to the right were the counselors’ offices, plus another exit out of the front office.

The girls walked to the end of the hallway and knocked three times. A woman opened the door to the and stood in front of them. The nurse was Mrs. Valentino. She was a married woman and currently pregnant. She was twenty-seven, and was 5’7’’. She had short, blonde hair and dark eyes. She had fair skin, though her arms and face were covered in freckles. She wore a gold ring on her right ring finger, matching the small locket necklace. She had shown the girls what was inside of it. On the right side was a picture of her and her husband on their wedding day. And on the other side was an ultrasound picture of her baby at twenty weeks old. Mrs. Valentino wore a red, long sleeved shirt and black dress pants. The school allowed her to wear supported arching sneakers since her pregnancy started, since she suffered stressed pain in both her feet prior to it. But besides her hurting feet and her baby, Mrs. Valentino always had a smile and a happy glow about her that made anyone near her just smile.

Mrs. Valentino was the only person, besides Elanora and PEter, who knew about Melody’s secret.

When she saw the two girls, her eyes widened slightly. “Emergency?” She asked.

They both nodded and Mrs. Valentino stepped aside, opening the door more. She ushered them in and they hurried inside. The office was set up rather simple. The office was rectangular in shape with Mrs. Valentino’s desk in the upper left corner of the room. To the right were three medical beds and curtains for students who need to rest. Across the beds and along the wall, ceiling cabinets and a long counter top were arranged that had various medical supplies, as well as student’s medicine and allergy pens. To the left bottom corner was a skeleton model that currently had a winter cap and scarf on it. The walls, ceiling and floors were all an off white, though the ceiling panels had flecks of black in them. The far right wall had a window that led outside, though the bottom portion was slowly being covered by the hedges outside. 

Mrs. Valentino closed the door behind the girls and said, “What’s the emergency?”

“Burning apartment on seventh avenue and west road,” Melody said, taking her hearing aids out of her ears. She gently massaged them, feeling relief to have them out. Elanora quickly went over to the counter top and crouched down, opening one of the bottom cabinets. Elanora pulled out a bulky laptop and went over to a chair next to the far right medical bed. As she booted up the laptop, Melody waited for Mrs. Valentino. Mrs. Valentino had gone to her desk and opened one of the drawers. She lifted a metal tray and pulled out a skin-tight bodysuit. She tossed it to Melody and grabbed a pair of especially designed, wireless headphones. Mrs. Valentino handed the headphones to Melody, saying, “Get changed, quickly. I’ll do my best to cover for you two.”

“Thank you,” Melody said, taking the middle medical bed. She pulled the curtain and started to quickly change. Melody pulled back the curtain, adjusting her outfit. The outfit she wore was a white body suit that went from her mid-neck all the way to the tips of her fingers and toes. The suit had built in black soles, and the fingers had padding to allow Melody to use a touch screen if necessary. The body suit was white with black music scores across her body, arms and legs. The music scores stopped just below the wrists and neck, as well as just above the ankles. Melody’s hair was still in a braid, though Melody had removed the bow.

The head phones were black, with white treble clefs over each of the housing portions of the gear. They also were buttons as well. The headband was black, connecting the two housings. However, unlike regular headphones, a black glass screen went over Melody’s eyes that was connected to the headband part of the headphones. Melody pressed the right ear treble clef and the screen changed from black to a bright blue. Information rushed across the screen until it tinted and changed so Melody could see through the screen. Melody then pressed the left treble clef and said, “Testing, testing, one two, three.”

“ _ Hear you loud and clear,”  _ Elanora said through the headphones.  _ “And I can see everything from your screen. Check with Mrs. Valentino really quick.” _

Melody looked over at Mrs. Valentino, asking, “Can you see my eyes?”

Mrs. Valentino looked up from her paperwork and shook her head, “All I see is a tinted black screen.”

“Perfect. I need to go now.”

Melody went over to the window and opened it. She sneaked out as Elanora said through the headphones,  _ “I’ll keep you updated from here. But you need to hurry; the infrastructure of the building is starting to fail.” _

Melody pressed the left treble clef, “Got it. I’m out.”

_ “Be careful.” _

“I always am.”

Melody heard Elanora huff, wanting to protest but not. Melody leaped over the hedge in front of the window. She ran across the lawn of the school, ducking around the corner and into a collection of trees. Roughly three or four trees sat in a row between the fence and the school building. They often were trimmed to keep branches from poking into the school’s windows. But they did grow out and over the fence, shading walking pedestrians. 

Melody climbed up one of these trees and hid in the foliage. Cupping her hands over her mouth, she made a rapid bird call. Melody saw flat circular rings appear in front of her, each one higher up than the other by a step. Melody leaped from the tree and ran up the platformed rings, the rings disappearing after stepping off each one. Melody reached the roof of the building next door and looked around. From where she stood, she could see the rising smoke from the apartment complex. 

Melody steeled herself and sprinted across the roof, racing against the clock.


	4. Routine--Late Afternoon

Melody reached the scene of trouble, standing on the roof of the building next to it. The civilians had been evacuated from the building and, thankfully, the fire hadn't spread to it nor the building on the other side. Melody stared at the building, looking at the roof. The roof was mostly occupied by the tenants of the burning building. They were all huddled towards the edge of the roof, trying to find a way off. Melody took a few steps back before getting a running start. She jumped off the roof and dove towards the other roof. She curled her body and rolled as she hit the roof. She bounced to her feet, managing to stick the landing. Several people turned and saw Melody.

“Melody! The superhero Melody is here!” One of them shouted. The crowd turned and started to rush at Melody, each of them pleading for help. Melody walked past them and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll get everyone down. Is there anyone still in the building?”

Everyone looked at one another, seeing if anyone was missing. A man shouted, “Wait, where’s mom?! Is she still downstairs?”

“Where’s my son?! Tommy, where’s your brother? Where’s Lucas?!” A scared mother asked a small child. The child, paralyzed with fear, stuttered, “H-He’s still downstairs.”

Melody lifted her hands, saying in assurance, “People! Please stay calm! I’ll provide an escape slide for you and then go get the others!”

Those who heard nodded, though they looked scared. Others who didn’t, started to shout and Melody could sense the rising fear. She quickly went to the edge of the roof and pressed the left headphone button, “Tech, I need to make a sound slide. Could you send me the safest drop for it I can make with this height?”

“ _Way ahead of you,_ ” Elanora said. “ _I was looking at the building’s structure and figured this would be the best solution. I’m sending the image now._ ”

A blue printed image appeared on the screen. Melody saw the angle of the slide, seeing how it dropped a bit, but curved out towards the bottom. Melody looked over the roof’s edge again, making note that the end of the slide would be where the manhole cover on the street was. Melody touched the center of her throat and amplified her voice. She shouted to the firefighters, “Firefighters! I need you to be prepared! I’m sending the tenants down! I need you to be ready to catch them in front of that manhole cover!”

Melody heard several of the firefighters shout back a response and form a line in front of the manhole cover. Melody cleared her throat and, starting at a high note, she quickly dropped her pitch low and then evening out. As she did this, she motioned with her finger the slide, creating it in both her mind and with her soundwaves. When she finished, she could see the deep red, fading into blue then orange colored slide. She nodded and pointed to where her foot was. “One at a time everyone! Take this slide down and the firefighters will catch you! I’ll get anyone else still in the building out!”

Everyone started to mutter and one woman asked, “Melody? Wh-Where is the slide?”

Melody bit her lip. She forgot: only SHE could see the sound waves she created, not anyone else. Melody looked around the roof and found a piece of newspaper. She grabbed it and curled it into a ball. Very carefully, she placed it on the slide and pushed it. The crowd watched as the piece of newspaper rolled down the slide, flying off and nearly hitting one of the firefighters. Melody smiled at the crowd, “The slide is here. I know you can’t see it, but you have to trust me. One at a time, women and children first. If you have a small child, they can sit on your lap. Otherwise, one at a time.”

Without any further comment, Melody rushed for the fire escape on the other side of the roof. The door had been thrown open since people had rushed to the exit, so Melody slid to the side before charging down the stairs. Immediately when she did, Elanora shouted in Melody’s ear, “ _Melody, you have to hurry. That building isn’t going to hold up much longer_.”

“Do you have visuals on where the people are?” Melody asked, skipping steps down. She had reached the top level of apartments when Elanora said, “ _Run down the hallway. Your screen will scan for anybody on this level_.”

Melody sprinted and easily made it through. The top floor wasn’t too bad. Hardly any smoke or fire. Melody went down two more floors, not spotting any signs of fire. It wasn’t until she went down the fourth set of stairs did she start smelling the smoke. When she entered the hallway, the smoke made the area hazy. Melody squinted and coughed, lifting her hand and covering her mouth. Her screen lit up and a small human form was seen behind a door at the far end of the hallway. “ _I got visuals! A little boy_ ,” Elanora said.

“That must be that woman’s son,” Melody said, running. She reached the door and opened it, seeing a small boy sitting on the floor. The boy looked to be two and he was terrified. His face had a thin layer of ash and he was crying. His tears caused streaks on his cheeks and his body shook. He stared at Melody, sniffling. Melody quickly knelt close to him. “Hi there,” She said. “Are you Lucas?”

“Y-Yes,” He croaked. “H-How did you know?”

“Your mommy is looking for you. She’s on the roof with your brother Tommy,” Melody pointed up for emphasis. Lucas looked up and his eyes started to fill with tears. He wailed, “I-I-I’m scared! I want my m-m-mommy!”

“It’s okay Lucas,” Melody said, soothing the child. Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed up the stairs. Melody looked and saw three people charge past the doorway. Melody rushed to the door and shouted, “Wait!”

Two out of the three kept running, but one stopped. A man who looked to be in the military rushed over. “Melody! It’s good to see you ma’am,” He said, nodding. Melody returned it, asking, “I need your help. This child needs to get to the roof where people are evacuating. But I have to continue checking the rest of the floors. Can you take him?”

The man nodded, “Of course. I was able to check all but the seventh floor. That floor is where the fire is. I don’t know if anyone is there, but-”

“I’ll check. You get this boy and help anyone else you find.”

The man nodded and Melody turned to Lucas. She smiled and extended her hand. “Lucas, this man here will take you to your mommy and brother. Can you be a big boy and go with him?”

Lucas looked at Melody and then her hand. Slowly, he reached for hers and took it. She helped Lucas to his feet and picked him up. Handing him to the man, the man held Lucas tightly and said to Melody, “Be careful.”

Melody smiled, “I will.”

Melody ran towards the stairs, barreling down. As she made her way to the seventh floor, she heard Elanora, “ _Melody, be careful. The structure of the building isn’t going to last much longer. And the fire-_ ”

“I’ll be fine,” Melody said, coughing a little. She went down the stairs and made it to the stairwell exit for the seventh floor. She reached for the door handle, but when she touched it, extreme heat touched her hand. “Gah!” Melody gasped, jumping back. She curled her hand into a fist, grateful for the material of the suit. The suit was flame resistant, so the heat only startled Melody. Melody lifted her foot and kicked the door. The door had grown weak due to the fire, so it fell off its hinges. Black smoke rolled out of the doorway and hit Melody fully. She coughed, stepping away to catch her breath. She gasped and coughed, trying to breath. Suddenly, Melody heard a woman cry, “Help!”

Melody looked at the doorway. That was the same woman from the news.

“ _Melody! Don’t-!_ ” Elanora started. But Melody took a deep breath and charged into the burning floor.

Fire. All she could see was fire.

Melody froze. Her mind was racing. Fear had taken hold of her and a different scene than what was in front of her played. She was smaller, much smaller. And she was being carried through a burning building. She was crying, curled into the person carrying her. Everything was so loud. The noise was new. Everything was bright, the smells were very strong, and everything felt bad. Melody unconsciously whimpered, stepping back. She would’ve ran out of the hallway and back up the stairs, fleeing for her life. Melody was ready to just run away.

Very faintly, she heard the cries of a baby.

Melody blinked, shaking herself out of the memory. She held her arm to her nose, inhaling what little non-smoky air there was. She went down the hallway, going as fast as she could. She crouched low, so she wasn’t walking in the ceiling of black smoke. She looked around, using her screen to find the woman and baby. She reached the middle of the hallway when her screen flashed brightly. A figure of a woman on the ground, as well as a baby, appeared. Melody went to the door and tried to open it. But the door wouldn’t budge. She stood up and slammed against it. The door moved, but it wouldn’t open. Melody stepped back and inhaled a deep breath. Her lungs burned and her eyes watered, but she let loose a high pitched scream.

The blast of sound broke the door down and whatever it was blocking it. Melody rushed into the room, grateful that the apartment hadn’t been set on fire. Melody dropped to the ground, taking in as much air as she could. She glanced up, seeing the entire ceiling covered in black smoke. Melody looked ahead of her and saw the woman. She had collapsed, probably due to the amount of smoke. Her body was curled around her baby, who was struggling to breath. Melody’s resolve hardened and she got to her feet. She stumbled over to the woman, placing her hand on her shoulder, “Ma’am, are you okay?”

The woman coughed and lifted her head. Her eyes were half open and she was barely conscious. “Help…” She breathed, her voice small and weak. Melody nodded, “Ma’am, hold onto your baby. I’ll get you guys out of here.”

The woman held her baby and Melody picked the woman up. Melody took a second but she started out of the apartment. She made it into the hallway and sprinted for the door. She ran into the stairwell and started up the stairs, her breathing became labored. “I can do it, I can do it,” Melody gasped.

“ _Melody_!” Elanora shouted. “ _Are you there?! What’s happening?_ ”

“I got the woman and child! I’m almost-”

The entire stairwell shook. The shaking caused Melody to top on the ninth level hallway. She stared at the end of the hallway, seeing that the building really was shaking. Melody’s mind started to race as it connected the dots. The building was coming down. If she didn’t get out now, she and this woman with her baby were goners. Melody looked around, her eyes landing on the window next to her. Outside, Melody saw the last person from the roof, the military man and Lucas, slide down the slide. Melody quickly snapped her fingers, causing the slide to vanish. Melody cleared her throat and sent out a loud shrill, breaking the window and part of the wall.

“ _Melody, whatever you have to do, do it now_!” Elanora screamed. The building started to collapse as Melody leaped out of the hole. Melody felt herself suspended in mid-air for a second, before gravity took over. Melody panicked for a second, almost losing grip of the woman and baby. But Melody held tight and dove down, taking in one last breath. Melody let loose a low pitched note that caught her fall. Melody landed on the deep blue platform, before bouncing off of it and onto the pavement. The building collapsed, fire, smoke and debris all coming down. Everyone ducked down, bracing against the wind and dust flying around them. The dust slowly settled and the crowd of people remained where they were. Some started to whisper worriedly. Did Melody make it? Was everyone alright?

From the dust, they saw a silhouette slowly walk forward. Everyone held their breaths, not believing what they were seeing. Out from the debris, Melody stumbled forward, still holding the woman and child. The crowd cheered, the firefighters cheered and the people on the roof did as well. Melody smiled tiredly, handing the woman over to some firefighters. As they took her away, the woman looked at Melody, still somewhat conscious.

“Th-Thank you,” The woman said.

“It’s n-no problem,” Melody said, coughing a little. The firefighters took her to a nearby ambulance, where most of the tenants were. The man from the news station rushed up to Melody, pushing the microphone in her face. “Melody! Super heroine of our beloved Whiteridge city! What do you have to say about this successful rescue?” He asked.

Melody glanced at the cameraman, seeing that the camera was pointed at her. Melody said into the microphone, “I’m glad everyone is safe and sound. Everyone is being treated right now and those who are in critical condition are being taken to the hospital.”

“What about yourself? You look pretty shaken up.”

“Nothing a few hours of rest won’t do. Speaking of, I need to get going.” Melody winked at the camera and rushed down the street. As she ran, Melody made quick chirping sounds, projecting platforms in a stair-like fashion. Melody jumped on each one, going higher and higher up until she reached the rooftop of a building. From there, she ran out of sight from the scene. Melody pressed the left button on her headphones, “Tech? You there?”

“ _Melody? Oh thank goodness, are you okay?!_ ” Elanora asked.

“I’m fine. I’m on my way back to the school. Do you think we can skip the rest of the school day?”

“ _You know that’s impossible. Your mom would find out and then worry about what happened_.”

Melody sighed, “Man, I wish I wasn’t in high school doing this superhero job.”

“ _Well, I wouldn’t be worrying about that right now_.”

Melody raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean?”

“ _Melody Ellen Carmina!_ ” Mrs. Valentino’s voice shouted. Melody flinched at the volume and realized how much trouble she was in. To prove her point, Mrs. Valentino said, “ _You better bring yourself back to my office right now or so help me you’ll have more to worry about than a few burns and smelling smoky._ ”

“Y-Yes, ma’am,” Melody said, picking up the pace. Though she was tired, scared, and hurt, Melody couldn’t help but smile. Another day saved thanks to her. Despite everything that happened, despite the fear that arose, and the doubts she had, Melody had persevered and saved many lives today. And she couldn’t be more willing to put up with a few more hours of school for it.

Plus an angry pregnant school nurse.


	5. Routine-- Evening

“Why do I put up with this? Why? You both are children! I shouldn’t be allowing this!”  
Melody flinched and said, “Mrs. Valentino, you’re hurting me.”  
“Oh, sorry dear,” Mrs. Valentino gently applied the burn cream on Melody’s right cheek. Melody made it back onto school campus without anyone noticing. However, when she jumped through the window back into the nurse’s office, Mrs. Valentino immediately grabbed Melody and sat her down on one of the medical beds. Melody didn’t even have a chance to change out of her superhero outfit. She obediently allowed Mrs. Valentino to treat her injuries. To Melody’s surprise, she had sustained a few burns from the fire. It must’ve been the rush of adrenaline that blocked out most of the pain, but now that it was gone, she flinched every time Mrs. Valentino applied the burn cream.   
Melody had sustained burns on her face and on the tips of fingers, especially on her right hand. Melody assumed it was due to the burning doorknob on the seventh floor. She also had some bruises on her knees from when she jumped from the seventh floor. Her throat was sore from having used her abilities, to which was easy to fix with lots of water.   
Mrs. Valentino applied the last of the cream, rubbing it into Melody’s skin. “There. You're done. Make sure to cover it up with some foundation or something, Melody.”  
“Thank you, Mrs. Valentino,” Melody said gratefully. Mrs. Valentino waved a dismissive hand, “I don’t get paid enough for this.”  
“You don’t get paid at all for helping us,” Elanora said, sitting next to Melody. Mrs. Valentino sat down at her desk, huffing in annoyance. “I should with how much I cover for you two. You’re lucky it was me who discovered your identity Melody and not your mother. I have near heart attacks every time you pull crazy stunts when saving people. Imagine how your mother would react if she knew.”  
Melody looked away, staring at her lap. Her hands were curled into fists, even though her right hand was hurting. Melody knew her mother would be against what she was doing. Her mother would force her to keep her powers a secret and never put herself in dangerous situations. Melody had promised herself when she first started to never tell her mom. Even when Mrs. Valentino discovered who she was, she made certain that Mrs. Valentino would not tell her mom. Only when Mrs. Valentino promised not to tell, did Vale really feel reassured that her identity was safe. But the feeling of guilt hasn’t gone away. Melody wished that one day she could tell her mom.  
For now, Melody was going to have to keep pretending.   
Elanora applied some foundation on Melody’s face to hide the burns. When finished Elanora held up a small compact mirror. “Looks good?” Elanora asked. Melody turned face, seeing no trace of burns or injury on her face. “Looks great, El,” Melody approved.  
Elanora closed the compact mirror, “Great, because we need to get back to class before the end of fourth period.”  
“Was I really gone that long?!” Melody panicked. Elanora nodded and gestured to Mrs. Valentino, “Don’t worry. Mrs. Valentino sent a message to our third period teacher about how your hearing aids were ‘acting up.’”  
Melody sighed in relief and glanced over at the nurse’s desk. “Thank you,” Melody said. Mrs. Valentino nodded, “I can’t stop you from doing what’s right. But please be careful from now on.”  
Melody nodded. A loud ringing sound echoed faintly outside of the office. Both girls flinched and Mrs. Valentino casually said, “Oh. That’s the bell.”  
Elanora quickly jumped from the medical bed and put the laptop away. Melody drew the curtains and changed back into her school uniform. She even fixed her braid again, adding her bow on top. Melody clipped her hearing aids back in just as Elanora gave her the thumbs up, signaling that she was ready to go. Both girls headed to the door of the office, chorusing, “Thank you, Mrs. Valentino.”  
“Take care girls,” She responded, waving good-bye. The two left and both girls speed walked out of the front office, dodging a suspicious look from Mr. Gupil. They exited the office and merged with the sea of students switching classes. The two went to their lockers and grabbed their things for the last class of the day. Once they had gathered everything, the two hurried to class. The rest of the school day flew by, Melody trying to focus on her studies. But her mind wandered to what happened earlier. She froze when she needed to be the most focused during the fire. She knew why she froze, but it still bugged her nonetheless. Melody softly sighed, knowing she was going to have to work on it later.  
The last bell rang for the day and all students rushed to their lockers, ready to head home. Elanora, Melody and Peter walked down the hallway, looking tired but relieved. Elanora stretched, sighing, “Man, what a day. I always forget how boring class is compared to what happened earlier.”  
Peter rolled his eyes, “You guys always get to leave class. One of these days I want the chance to help.”  
“You do help Peter,” Elanora said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You help cover for Melody and I, help take notes for the classes we miss, and even help with Melody’s ‘other’ uniform.”  
Melody nodded in agreement and signed to Peter. His eyes widened and sighed, “Your telling me you need your uniform fixed again? What did you do this time?!”  
Melody gave Peter an even look before moving both of her hands up, wiggling each of her fingers. Elanora smirked at Peter, “I don’t know sign language as well as you do, but I think she’s saying ‘fire.’”  
Peter shook his head, “Fine, fine. I’ll make sure to stop by Mrs. Valentino’s office before leaving.”  
“I got to go there too to get the laptop, so we can go together,” Elanora said. She smiled brightly, “So you’ll have a buddy with you!”  
Peter blinked and turned to Melody, “I don’t know if I should be scared or worried.”  
Melody giggled and Elanora grabbed Peter’s hand. Before he could protest, Elanora dragged him away from Melody, shouting to her, “We’ll be right back! We’ll see you outside the art room!”  
Melody tilted her head, slightly confused. But remembered how she was going to sign up for the art club today. She nodded, waving goodbye to her friends. Melody headed to her locker, weaving through the crowd of students. Some were all set to leave the school, while others were only now heading to their lockers. Melody reached her locker and let out a breath of relief when she saw Aurelia leaving from her locker with her things. Melody was able to pack her things without any trouble and head to the art room when she finished. Melody rarely went to the art room; the last time she did was to find Peter because Elanora was at school to help translate for Melody. But Melody knew where the classroom was.   
The art classroom was on the first floor towards the back end of the school. It was in the right corner, where the door to the classroom was always open. The art class was the only one that had two teachers at a time in it. The class was run by a married couple, Mr. and Mrs. Walken. The husband was actually the drawing teacher for one half of the classroom while the other was where the wife worked with students in clay works and other art projects. Mr. and Mrs. Walken were both in their mid-thirties and had three kids, all of which were in school. Which worked out well for the couple when they were teaching.  
Mr. Walken had blonde hair that he kept in a short ponytail. He had bright blue eyes that always shined when he got creative inspiration. He wore a simple T-shirt that always had some colored paint on it, with a pair of dark blue jeans, that also had some sort of paint on it. He wore dark brown sneakers that helped to keep him from slipping in the classroom.   
His wife, Mrs. Walken, had short, dark red hair in a pixie cut style. She had dark green eyes and freckles across her nose. She always wore a dark colored blouse and matching dark blue jeans. She wore black flats that also helped keep her from slipping. She wore small framed glasses that she always kept on her head unless she was reading something. The two always had a glow of happiness around them that could lift any students’ mood. They were always cheerful and encouraged their students to go past their limits. Of course, they also knew when to put their foot down when a student wasn’t listening.   
Melody stepped into the classroom, her nervousness fading almost immediately. Not only did she feel the excitement and happiness from the two teachers, but from the classroom as well. The classroom had been set up where the front half was dedicated to drawing and paintings, while the second half was dedicated to clay works, fashion design and other forms of art. The front half of the classroom had a large white board and teacher’s desk for Mr. and Mrs. Walken. Four large tables sat near the board and three easels sat along the window behind the teacher’s desk. Several cabinets by the door held art supplies for both paintings and drawings. The second half of the classroom was a little less organized.   
There were four stations set up in the second half. The first station closest to the tables was the fashion station. It had two mannequins at the ready for students who were crafting outfits or accessories. A table with drawers and baskets filled with materials sat nearby, as well as a mini-bookshelf of clothing magazines for inspiration. The second station, which was in the upper right corner of the classroom, was a sculpting area. This was where students who weren’t working with clay but other materials would go to practice their art. Pieces of bendable metal, fabric and other things sat in baskets, as well as podiums to use to help with structuring their work.   
The third station was woodworks. This area was the second messiest. This was below the fashion station, but it was along the bottom wall. It had two tables, where underneath were stacks of wood in different shapes and sizes. The tools for wood work weren’t at these tables, but instead were in the cabinets on the far right wall. Students in this station would need to ask permission to use the tools, as well as the necessary safety equipment, before starting a project. It looked like the station had been recently used since there was a lot of wood shavings around the two desks. The last station, in the bottom right corner, was the clayworks station. There were two tables, one along the wall and another next to it. This usually was the messiest station, however, it looked like it had been recently cleaned up. The tables had a lineup of tools used to shape and model the clay. A door was seen next to the table along the wall, which led to the kiln room. Inside, were shelves with packages of unused clay, pieces of clay that still needed to be fired, and those that were finished but cooling off. The kiln itself was in the far corner of the room, away from any possible flammable objects.   
The art room was full of students at the moment. Most of the students were at either the easels or the tables working. A few students were at the mannequins and one student was at the sculpture corner. Mr. Walken was currently helping a student at the easel, so his back was to Melody. But Mrs. Walken was standing nearby to see Melody come into the room. She smiled sweetly, greeting her with, “Hello, and welcome to the art club. Are you here to join?”  
Melody nodded. Mrs. Walken grinned, “Wonderful! What kind of art were you thinking of doing today? We still have some room at the easels or drawing tables if you wanted to do either one. Or I can get the other unused stations set up for you.”  
Melody gestured to the drawing tables, miming drawing. Mrs. Walken nodded, “Alright. Let me grab you some paper and you can get started. Why don’t you take a seat over there and I’ll be right with you?”  
Melody nodded and headed to the seat at the end of the bottom right table. Melody sat down and didn’t notice who she sat next to. It wasn’t until she felt a tap on her shoulder did she turn and see Galien. Galien waved to her and Melody did her best to wave back, though she was quietly panicking. Mrs. Walken came over with some paper and pencils, telling Melody, “We have a prompt on the board if you can’t think of anything to draw. If this is your first time in the art club, take the first few visits to figure out which art station you’re comfortable with. By the way, what’s your name dear?”  
Melody picked up the pencil and wrote her name on the paper. She showed it to Mrs. Walken. Mrs. Walken clapped her hands together, “Oh! You’re Melody! Galien had told us you might be joining today. Well, I’m glad that you can join. If you ever need any assistance, you can come find me or my husband. Though it looks like you already have a friend you can rely on in class now.”  
Mrs. Walken giggled a little and walked away to help another student. Melody turned to Galien in surprise, who in turn looked a little fluster. She signed to him, “You told her I was coming?”  
“Yes. I’m sorry,” Galien signed. “I should’ve checked if you were coming.”  
Melody quickly shook her head, signing a little too fast, “It’s okay. It worked out though. I’m here now right?”  
Galien chuckled and signed, “That’s true. I’m glad you made it. How long are you staying today?”  
“Not for too long. I have to go see my mom in the music room. I’ll probably draw something at home and bring it back.”  
“That’s fine. Just make sure to show the drawings to either teacher next time.”  
Melody nodded just as she heard a loud, “PSSSSST! MELODY!”  
Melody looked and Galien looked as well since Melody turned away. Elanora and Peter were leaning into the art room, motioning for Melody to come over. Melody looked to Galien, signing, “I have to go. Thank you and I’ll see you later.”  
“Good-bye. See you later,” Galien signed back. Melody gathered her things and left the art classroom, walking with her two friends to the music room. Elanora nudged Melody, teasing, “You seemed to be having a lovely time with Galien there, weren’t you?”  
Melody’s face turned red, and she didn’t say or sign. Peter shook his head, “I’ll never understand girls.”  
“You should try too at least, Peter. Otherwise you won’t find your girlfriend at all,” Elanora stated. Peter’s face flushed red and he stuttered, “Wh-What the heck does that have to do with my love life?! I-I’m not interested in anyone!”  
“Yet. You're not interested in anyone yet,” Elanora said, winking at him. “Don’t worry, Melody and I will help you find the one.”  
Elanora wrapped an arm around Melody’s shoulder, adding, “But first we gotta get Melody and Galien together before we find someone for Peter. With a little help, Melody, you and Galien will be a couple by the end of next year.”  
Melody kept her head down, still flustered by the thought of being with Galien. The trio eventually reached the music room, which was on the other side of the hallway from the art room. It was the same size as the art room, though the structure of the classroom was different. Risers for chorus practice rested against the far wall of the classroom. Lining the walls were lockers that contained various instruments that belonged to either students or the school. A semicircle of chairs close by the door, facing a single podium. There were two teacher’s desks in the room. One was the band director’s, which was on the left side, while the right teacher’s desk by the risers belonged to Melody’s mom, Mrs. Carmina.   
A conductor for the band would normally be holding rehearsal, however, it was Friday so the choir had practice today. So Melody’s mom was using the podium, having it face the risers instead of the chairs. Mrs. Carmina was currently focused on talking to the choir members, not realizing her daughter and friends had entered the classroom. “I know it’s Monday guys, but we have a performance coming up soon. So let’s try to keep the energy up for this rehearsal,” Mrs. Carmina said. She lifted her hands to start, but a student raised their hand. Mrs. Carmina held back a sigh and pointed to the student. “Um, your daughter is here, ma’am,” The student said, gesturing to the trio of freshmen.  
Mrs. Carmina turned in surprise. “Oh! Melody! Sorry, sweetie, but practice is going longer than normal. I’ll be back home once I’m finished.” Mrs. Carmina looked at Elanora and Peter, “Would you mind bringing Melody home? I’m sure she’d want to hang out with you guys.”  
“Don’t worry,” Peter said, giving Mrs. Carmina a thumbs up. “We’ll bring her home in time for dinner.”  
Mrs. Carmina smiled, “Thank you, Peter.” She turned back to the choir, getting ready to practice. Melody, Elanora and Peter left the classroom, quickly exiting the school. Elanora cheered, “Alright! This gives all of us the perfect chance to fix your uniform and touch up on your training, Melody.”  
“We need to finish our homework first though,” Peter said, handing a stack of paper to both Melody and Elanora. Elanora looked at the papers, scowling, “Way to kill the mood, Pete.”  
“H-Hey! We have to focus on our studies too!” Peter pointed out. The three stopped at a sidewalk corner, waiting to cross the street. Melody glanced around before saying softly, “He’s got a point, El. We need to focus on school before any training. I promise, I’ll get my hour of training in before I head home.”  
“And I’ll make sure to fix up her suit too,” Peter said, swiping his finger over his chest in an ‘X’ shape. He lifted a hand, gesturing to Elanora he was promising. Elanora looked between the two and smirked, “Alright, alright. Let’s get going. The sooner we can get our stuff done, the sooner we can get to training.”  
The crosswalk signal changed and the trio walked across the street, heading to Elanora’s house.   
~~~~~~~~~~  
“How’s the suit coming along?” Melody asked, dodging another baseball.   
Peter pulled the needle through the fabric, shouting, “It’s looking good! Should be done in a bit.”  
“Focus, Melody!” Elanora said, aiming another baseball at her. Using the baseball launcher, Elanora fired in rapid succession four more. Melody dodged three and quickly gasped, creating a thick enough shield to block the fourth one. Melody stumbled back, wincing a little. She glanced at the clock on the wall, seeing she had five more minutes of training. Melody sucked in another breath and readied herself for the next attack.  
Elanora lived in a fairly large house just west of the city. The trio had to take a subway out from the city into more of the suburban area. The subway took about twenty minutes, and then another ten to walk from the station to Elanora’s house. Her house was along the edge of the suburb town of Chaseven, right along the treeline into the woods surrounding the base of the valley. Elanora’s house was two stories, with a large basement. Elanora, Peter and Melody were currently in the basement. When Elanora and her family first moved in, her father renovated it to make an area to practice baseball shots. However, Elanora’s mother made sure that the baseballs used weren’t real ones. Instead, they were made of hard rubber. They still hurt as if Melody was hit with a real baseball, but they didn’t fly as fast as a regular baseball in the launcher. The walls and floor were white, the tile flooring adding more of a challenge for Melody’s training.  
The basement was not only large enough for an area like this, but a small den area for her father to watch baseball comfortably. A large TV had been set up, with two lounge chairs and a couch in between. In this area to the left of the batting area, was carpeted and the walls were painted. The TV hung above a red brick fireplace, currently lit with several burning logs inside. Peter sat on one of the lounge chairs, focused on fixing Melody’s suit. He pulled the needle and thread one more time, before tightening it. He broke the thread with his teeth and held the suit up, nodding at his work. He got up from his seat and said, “Mel! I just finished! Come try it on!”  
“She’s got five more minutes,” Elanora said, launching rubber balls in rapid succession now. Peter stayed behind the safety line, watching Melody as she kept training. Melody, though tired, did her best to dodge the flying projectiles. Melody blocked the last one just as the clock reached 5 o’clock. Elanora stepped away from the machine and Melody slouched over, relieved. Elanora placed a hand on the baseball launcher, saying, “Alright. Training’s over. Let’s get you-”  
The baseball launcher shuttered and launched a rubber ball that had been stuck in the tube. It flew at Melody, hitting her in the right eye. Melody screamed, falling back and keeping a hand over her eye. “Melody!” Peter and Elanora shouted. They rushed to her as she got to her feet. Elanora reached her first, “Oh my gosh! Are you okay?! I’m so sorry!”  
“I-Is it bad?” Melody asked, lowering her hand. The two friends flinched, seeing her right eye was starting to swell. Peter hissed through his teeth, “Let’s just say you're going to have a shiner for a bit.”  
Melody groaned and Elanora muttered, “I thought I turned it off! Why didn’t it turn off?!”  
“It’s okay, Elanora,” Melody said, smiling a little. She winced, feeling a sharp pain. Elanora ran for the stairs, shouting behind her, “I’ll grab some ice! Don’t move!”  
Elanora vanished out of sight and Peter glanced at Melody. “Did you still want to try on the suit? I just fixed up the patches, nothing really new,” He asked. Melody glanced at Peter, seeing how nervous he looked. She smiled and gently took the suit. Peter blinked and looked at Melody in surprise.  
“I’ll try it on Peter. I’m sure it looks great, so don’t be nervous,” She reassured him. Peter relaxed and nodded. Melody went to the small bathroom, stepping inside to change. Peter waited by the stairs just in front of the bathroom, tapping his foot nervously. From inside the bathroom, Melody could hear Peter’s foot tapping. She smirked, “Peter, the suit looks great. You always do a great job when it comes to clothing.”  
“Th-Thanks, Mel. It means a lot when you or Elanora say it,” He responded. He lowered his head, muttering, “At least I know you guys would support me on this.”  
“Have you not told your dad about this?” Melody asked, surprised. Peter’s head shot up as he said, “Of course not! What, you think my dad, a military man, would approve of me doing something that isn’t what he wants? You know what he would say, Mel! He wants me to get straight A’s and get a major in business in college! I’m still a freshman!”  
“Okay, okay, calm down,” Melody said, putting her arms through the sleeve of the suit. “I get it. It’s the same way with my mom if she ever found out who I was. Or rather, if she knew that you and Elanora knew that I can hear clearly and can speak relatively well.”  
“Both of our parents would be freaking out. Your mom would probably keep you in a hamster ball for life and my dad would send me to boarding school so I can focus on the skills that are actually ‘useful’.”  
Melody shivered at the mental image. She couldn’t imagine her mom’s reaction, let alone the thought of having to be protected for the rest of her life. And she didn’t want to even think about what Peter’s father would do. As Peter said, his dad was a retired military man. His mom had passed away when Peter was young, so his dad took it upon himself to really try and raise Peter on his own. But Peter had always found it hard to get along with his dad since his mom’s passing. His dad never brings it up and had put everything that belonged to her away. Well, almost everything.  
Peter had managed to hang onto his mom’s old sewing machine, needles and fabric. He took up the skills of sewing and making clothes, eventually falling in love with designing clothing. His mom had taught him a few tricks when he was little, but everything else he had to teach himself. Without his father knowing though. Anytime he tried to bring up anything related to making clothes, his dad would immediately change the subject. Melody understood that feeling; her mom was like that about her dad’s passing too. Except they still had some of his things out in the house. But her mom was more protective of Melody ever since his passing. So, from a certain point, she could relate to Peter.   
“Maybe that’s why we’re friends,” Melody muttered.   
“Huh?” Peter asked. Melody adjusted the cuffs of her suit before stepping out of the bathroom. Peter blinked, surprised that Melody was done changing. Melody sat next to Peter on the steps, explaining, “Maybe because we both lost a parent, we’re such good friends. We know what it was like to lose them, and we both have similar struggles with the other parent now.”  
“I’d like to think it’s because we get along so well,” Peter objected. Melody giggled and he sighed, admitting, “But...maybe that’s another reason. We can emphasize with the other what’s wrong.”  
Melody nodded, and leaned back on the stairs. “But it does make me wish Elanora’s parents were my own. They are so chill.”  
“To chill if you ask me,” The two heard. Peter turned around and Melody sat up to see Elanora at the top of the stairs. She walked down the steps, and stopped right behind the two. She handed Melody the bag of ice, saying, “I love my parents, don’t get me wrong, but I worry they are too chill about what I do.”  
“But it just means they are fine with us being here, right?” Peter asked.  
“No, of course they are! They love you guys,” Elanora said. Peter and Melody relaxed. Elanora sat between them and Melody put the bag of ice over her eye. Elanora leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “I wish they were a little more....caring about what it is I do,” She admitted. “They get me my own tech equipment without second thought nor without really caring. But once, just once, I want them to...notice that I’m here.”  
Peter wrapped an arm around Elanora’s shoulder, who looked at Peter in surprise. “That’s why we’re here, right?” Peter said. “At least you have Mel and I to be with you.”  
“And we both appreciate all that you do. And for who you are,” Melody added. Elanora looked between her two friends, smiled widely and wrapped both her arms around their shoulders. She pulled them into a hug, saying, “I don’t need money when I have you guys with me.”  
“Buuuuuuut it is a nice thing to have,” Peter teased.   
“Don’t ruin the moment, Pete,” Melody said. Elanora busted out laughing, causing Melody and Peter to join in. The three hung out for a half hour afterwards, talking and joking to bring up their spirits after a tough conversation. Melody glanced at the clock and saw the time. She stood up, saying, “I should get going. I’ll take the suit and headset with me in case anything happens over the weekend. You were able to fix the screen right?”  
“Did it right after we finished our homework,” Elanora said, getting up from the couch. She walked over to the fireplace and grabbed the headset from the mantel. She handed it to Melody, adding, “Just make sure to calibrate it before doing any hero work. It needs time to adjust to your surroundings.”  
“Got it,” Melody said, putting both the suit and her headset into her backpack. Peter got up and said, “I should get going too. My dad is probably waiting for me to come home for dinner.”  
“Is he alright with you being out this late?” Elanora asked, concerned. “You know, him being a retired military man and all?”  
Peter chuckled, “I’ll be fine. He won’t get too mad. He knows I hang out with you guys and he finds it nice that I help Melody since she’s ‘deaf’.”  
“We shouldn’t risk it though,” Melody said, heading for the stairs. She waved to Elanora, “We’ll see you later. I’ll call you if I need Tech support.”  
Elanora gave her a thumbs up, “I’ll be here. You guys stay safe heading back to the city, okay?”  
“Got it,” Peter and Melody chorused. Elanora walked them out, and the pair walked down the sidewalk to the subway station. Having city passes, they went through the security checkpoint and boarded the next train. They took their seats and the train zoomed down the track. The two sat in silence, Melody rubbing her ears. She had to put her hearing aids back in since she needed to act as if she was deaf. But she would be lying if she said she didn’t find them uncomfortable. Peter glanced around the cart and said, “You can take them out if you want, Mel. We’re the last ones on here.”  
“I don’t want to risk it,” She said, glancing at the camera in the corner of the cart. Peter nodded in agreement, leaning back. He shut his eyes, muttering, “Man, what a day. How’s your eye, by the way?”  
“Still stings, and now I’m having a hard time seeing out of it,” Melody said, gently touching it. She flinched as pain exploded again from her eye. Peter grumbled, “Maybe if you didn’t touch it, it would heal faster.”  
Melody grunted, annoyed but she stopped touching her black eye. They were silent for another moment before Melody asked, “So, when are you going to tell El?”  
“Tell her what?” Peter asked, keeping his eyes closed.  
“How you feel, of course.”  
Peter nearly slipped out of his seat and onto the floor. But Melody grabbed his arm, pulling him back up. His face was flushed so red he looked like a tomato. “H-H-How did you-?!” He nearly shouted.  
“It’s been becoming increasingly obvious since she joined our group,” Melody smirked. “You even blushed earlier when Elanora offered to help you find a girlfriend. If that wasn’t enough proof, I don’t know what was.”  
Peter looked away, now embarrassed. “You...didn’t tell El anything right?”   
“Of course I haven’t! It’s not my place too.”  
Peter sighed in relief, “Thanks. I was worried you did tell her and she hated me.”  
“Why would she hate you though?”  
“I-I don’t know. Maybe she would think being friends with me would be awkward now if she knew.”  
“You don’t know that. Maybe she likes you back? In the same way?”  
Peter covered his face, placing his elbows on his knees. He yelled in them, his voice muffled. “Ugh! I don’t know!” He shouted. Melody patted his back in sympathy. “Man, we really do understand the other. We’re practically siblings at this point.”  
Peter looked at Melody between his fingers. He took a deep breath and sat up straight, pointing out, “I mean, we have known each other for a while. We were in diapers when our mom’s set up playdates with each other.”  
“Gosh, remember in middle school how our parents tried to get us together?”   
“Don’t remind me. Gosh, that suit dad made me wear for our eighth grade formal dance?”  
Melody tried and failed to keep from laughing. “You looked so ridiculous in that suit,” She laughed.  
“Hey! Blame my dad for making me wear such a stupid looking suit!”   
“Oh I don’t blame him. I got to see something so funny and memorable that day. I wish I had that photo my mom took of us that day.”  
“The fact that your mom lost it proves there is a God.”  
The two kept chatting, talking about old memories of when they were in middle school. Even when they were little, when things were better for both of them. The subway reached their stop and they both got off. Peter walked Melody to her house, and the two said goodbye as he walked to his house. It wasn’t that far of a walk, so Melody was assured he would get home safely. She took the house key out of her backpack and unlocked the door. She stepped inside and the first thing to hit her was the smell of delicious dinner. Melody knew what it was and was grateful it was Friday. Every Friday, Melody’s mom made spaghetti for her.   
But that wasn’t the only thing that she was excited about. She quickly put her backpack on the coat rack, and hurriedly took off her coat. She ran through the hallway and stopped in the doorway into the kitchen/dining room. She saw her mom sitting at the head of the table, her plate empty but showing signs she had eaten. But at the foot of the table was another person. A man in his late thirties sat there. He had fair skin, dark hair and eyes, but had the friendliest smile. His face had creases because of how much he smiled. He was currently wearing a white lab coat, with a gray turtleneck sweater underneath. He wore black pants and black dress shoes. He also had an empty plate, but like her mom, it had signs of spaghetti sauce. He must’ve eaten too.  
Both adults had been talking until Melody walked in. Her mom and the man looked at Melody, both smiling. “Welcome home, sweetie,” Mrs. Carmina said, neither one of them noticing Melody’s eye.   
“Hi mom,” Melody said, hugging her mom. She then rushed to the man, hugging him tightly, “It’s good to see you, Uncle Phobus.”  
The man chuckled and managed to wrap his arm around Melody. “Good to see you too, kiddo,” Uncle Phobus said. Melody let him go and he gestured to the window seat, “Grab a plat and come sit down. I want to hear how you are doing.”  
Melody stepped back and Phobus finally noticed Melody’s eye. He stood up and grabbed her face, tilting her head up. “Geez, kid, what did you do?!” He asked.   
“I’m fine. I just got hit with a ball to the face,” Melody said. Mrs. Carmina came over and her face paled at the sight. “Melody! What happened?! Did somebody hurt you again?!”  
“‘Hurt her? Again?!’” Phobus asked. Melody pushed her uncle away, explaining, “Elanora, Peter and I were playing with the baseball launcher. I wasn’t paying attention and I got hit in the face. That’s all.”  
Phobus relaxed but Mrs. Carmina wasn’t convinced. “Melody, how many times do I have to tell you to be careful?! What if the ball hit your hearing aid? Then your friends would know about your secret. Or what if the hearing aid got stuck in your ear permanently?! Or-or-”  
“Alouette,” Phobus said, placing a hand on her shoulder. Mrs. Carmina looked at him. He gave her a reassuring smile, stating, “Melody said she’s okay now. Trust her and get some ice for her. I’ll get her some dinner; she must be starving.”  
Alouette nodded, though Melody could tell her mom was still worried. Uncle Phobus patted Melody’s shoulder and went into the kitchen to get her a plate. Her mom went to a counter draw, grabbing a zip lock bag for the ice. Melody sat down on the window seat, watching the two. Uncle Phobus wasn’t her biological uncle; in fact, they weren’t even related at all. He was, however, a very close friend with her father. Uncle Phobus, or better known as Doctor Phobus Valdis, was the current hospital director of the hospital here in WhiteRidge city. He used to work with her dad back in Snow Cap Hollow Hospital on the east side of the valley, where she and her family first lived.   
Both her father and Uncle Phobus were only paid interns at the time, but both were incredibly smart and studied hard. It’s because of Uncle Phobus’ final paper that he landed a job opening as the lead director of the hospital in the city. Her father would’ve worked at the hospital alongside her uncle, if he had survived the hospital fire back at what was Snow Cap Hollow Hospital. Melody shook her head, clearing away the negative thoughts. She didn’t want to be thinking about them now. She wanted to focus on what was happening now.  
And right now, she had a delicious plate of food, her loving mom and uncle, and a very cold ice pack over her eye.  
“This bandage will help you keep it on your eye,” Mrs. Carmina said. She noticed Melody still had her hearing aids in and gently took both of them out. “You’re back home now, sweetie. You don’t need to wear them. Only your uncle and I should know.”  
Uncle Phobus raised an eyebrow, “Wait, you still haven’t allowed her to tell her friends? Alouette, what will happen if they find out?”  
“If they are her true friends, they’ll understand,” Aoulette responded, giving Phobus an even look. Regardless of her tone, he pushed the issue. “She can’t hide this secret forever. What happens if she meets someone? Goes on a date with them?”  
“Like I said before, if-”  
“That’s beside the point. It’s the fact she withheld the truth from them that it’ll still hurt, regardless if they look past it.”  
Alouette’s hands slowly curled into fists on the table. Melody nervously glanced at her mom, taking a bite of her spaghetti. Alouette took a deep breath through her nose, saying softly, “We are not having this discussion right now.”  
Uncle Phobus stared at Alouette, not looking away. Melody could feel the tension rising before she finally stood up. She grabbed her plate, startling the two adults. “I’ll...just eat in my room,” She muttered. Melody quickly walked around the table and into the hallway. Both her uncle and mom called out to her, asking her to come back. But she kept going, already knowing what the outcome would be if she did stay. It was like this every Friday it seemed. Her uncle would come over for dinner, they would have nice chats, someone would bring up a touchy subject, the arguments would start and eventually end until either Melody left or one of the adults stepped out of the room. It never reached shouting levels of arguing. But Melody feared it may at some point, so she always leaves to defuse the situation.   
Melody walked into her room and shut the door behind her. She placed her plate down next to the TV, closing the curtains to her room. She picked up her plate again and picked up the TV remote. She sat back on her bed and turned the TV on, just in time for the evening news. The news anchors were joined by the reporter from the apartment fire this morning. He was wearing a black suit with a white dress shirt underneath. His bright blonde hair had been brushed back and anyone could see how excited he looked. Melody smirked; this news reporter was a fan of hers.  
“Welcome back to WhiteRidge Central, the center of news and truth,” The woman anchor said to the camera. The man continued, “We are joined by Abner Trumann as he gives the latest report of what happened this afternoon with the burning apartment on Seventh and West. What is the latest update of the situation?”  
“Thank you, Tom,” Abner said. He cleared his throat and said with enthusiasm. “The current situation of the apartment complex looks grim. The entire building has collapsed and, thankfully, hasn’t done any damage to the structures of the two buildings next door. However, many tenants within that complex are still looking for a new home. Fortunately, the local homeless shelter had room to take everyone in. The volunteers and workers are hard at work helping the homeless people.”  
“Were there any casualties? Anyone who had to go to the hospital?” The anchor woman asked. Abner shook his head, “There were no casualties in this situation. However, three people had to be hospitalized. All three were in critical condition when they arrived at the hospital, but now are stable. And it’s all thanks to our city’s super hero, Melody.”  
On cue, the news footage of the event started to play instead. Though the sounds of the video were muted, the footage showed Melody what happened in a different perspective. She saw herself at the top of the building, starting to help the tenants. She vanished from sight and, one by one, tenants started to miraculously slide down the invisible slide. Melody made a mental note to talk to Elanora about somehow making her soundwaves visible to everyone. The trio of reporters continued talking, saying praises about Melody and her work. However, Melody watched the video footage, blocking out the commentary. Her mind flashed when she entered the burning hallway. She could recall clearly the rush of adrenaline and fear, feeling the ghostly feeling throughout her body. Melody shut her eyes, focusing on eating her dinner.  
She jumped when the door slowly opened. Uncle Phobus poked his head into her room, smiling softly. “Hey kid,” He said nervously. “Are you doing okay?”  
“Uh-huh,” Melody said, finishing her plate of food. She continued watching the television, prompting her uncle to open the door further. He stepped into the room, asking, “What are you watching so-”  
He stopped when he saw the news. Melody the heroine was walking out of the dust from the fallen apartment. Uncle Phobus glanced at Melody, asking, “You're watching the news?”  
“Y-Yeah!” Melody said, trying to keep calm. “Have you heard of this superhero? Sh-She has the same name as me and is really cool.”  
“Yeah, I’ve heard of her. The ‘musical’ hero as they call her,” Uncle Phobus said, standing next to Melody. He put his hands on his hips, saying, “Looks like she saved the day again. What was it this turning?”  
“Burning building,” Melody stated, scrapping the rest of the spaghetti sauce off the plate. As she ate it, her uncle commented, “Cool, cool. Well, hopefully she can keep up this streak of helping people.”  
Melody glanced at her uncle, confused. “What do you mean?”  
He shrugged his shoulders, “Well, she can’t save everyone all the time. She’s going to slip up at some point. Hopefully she won’t take it to heart and keep going. That’s the burden of being a superhero: you can’t save everyone, but you try to save as many as you can.”  
He noticed Melody’s empty plate and offered, “Here, let me take that downstairs for you. I got to head out anyway.”  
“Already?” Melody asked, handing the plate to him. He nodded, “Yeah. I have some important paperwork to look over before going into work tomorrow. Enjoy being young while you can, Melody.”  
He turned to leave but Melody stopped him, saying, “W-Wait, uncle Phobus?”  
“Hmm? What’s up?” He asked, looking over his shoulder. Melody waited a second, trying to think of the right words to say. She finally settled with, “Th-Thank you...for sticking up for me at dinner. B-But please, don’t argue with mom. She means well and wants to keep me safe. I...also don’t like seeing you guys fight.”  
Phobus sighed, feeling guilty about earlier. He turned to Melody and ruffled her hair. Melody glanced up at him as he said, “I’m sorry about earlier. It’s just...your mom can be a little too protective. And I’m worried she doesn’t give you the freedom you need. I know this is a tricky situation with how you can hear but really you shouldn’t be able too, but, regardless of all that, you’re young. You shouldn’t have to be held back from doing what you want.Well, if it’s something bad or wrong, then yes, you should be held back..”  
Melody chuckled and pushed her uncle’s hand off her head. “I understand. Thank you.”  
“Anytime. You get some rest. Sleep in even; it’s Saturday tomorrow.”   
“Goodnight, Uncle Phobus.”  
“G’night Melody.” Her uncle left her room and headed back downstairs. Melody took the chance to take her evening shower before heading to bed. She quickly showered, brushed her teeth and changed from her bathrobe and into some comfy pajamas. Melody closed her door and turned off the lights, revealing her ceiling to be covered in very small, glow-in-the-dark stickers. The stickers were a gift from Elanora for her birthday one year. Elanora made them herself so that the light from the stickers never faded. It reassured Melody since she had a bad phobia of the dark.   
Melody crawled into her bed, ready to sleep. But her uncle’s words echoed in her head: “That’s the burden of a superhero: you can’t save everyone, but you try to save as many as you can.”  
Melody sighed and rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling. If she was honest with herself, she learned that lesson the hard way. She had been working as a superhero long before officially becoming one for the city. She did undercover vigilante work back in middle school, where she would help in minor situations. But Melody had to be very careful. At this time, she didn’t have her hero suit or the technology that Elanora provided. So she would always go out at night, and go out on patrols in the city for any small situations. Oftentimes, she had to handle small muggings and thieves at night. But she would be lying if she hadn’t had her fair share of mess ups. Thankfully, she hadn’t lost anyone. But, due to her lack of confidence in her skills at the time, she got several people hurt and nearly caused someone to be permanently deaf.   
It was through those harsh lessons that Melody knew all too well the burden she had. She knew more of these lessons were to come, but she tried not to think about it too much. If she thought about it too much, the anxiety would overcome her and she would be stuck on what to do. Melody had been in that mental spot before; she didn’t find it fun at all to be in.  
Melody rolled on her side, trying to fall asleep. She didn’t want to be thinking about superhero work or responsibility or anything anxiety inducing. Right now, she wanted to focus on sleep, and what the next day would bring. Whether it was another day of crime fighting or another peaceful Saturday, Melody didn’t care. She wanted to focus on the present moment. As she fell asleep though, her mind wandered to her past when times were better. Back when her dad was alive and her family was whole.   
And these memories seeped into her dreams.


End file.
